Early Economy and Settlement in Northern Europe; Pioneering, Resource Use, Coping with Change (Volume 3); Blankholm

Edited by

Hans Peter Blankholm [+–]

UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

Hans Peter Blankholm is Professor Emeritus of archaeology at the Department of Archaeology, History, Religious Studies and Theology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway. His research covers Stone Age archaeology of Scandinavia, analytical methodology relating to spatial analyses, GIS, remote sensing, predictive modelling and biochemical analyses of foodways. Professor Blankholm is a member of the board for the Earth and Environmental Sciences Division within the European Academy of Sciences, and a member of UISPP Commission IV Quantitative Methods.

This volume explores the economy and settlement of the early post-glacial pioneers of Northern Europe. The chapters present overviews and case studies from the Early and Middle Mesolithic of Northern Scandinavia in their wider northern European setting. Given the large geographical and climatic variation– ranging from the temperate over the subarctic to the arctic zones – and rapid and large-scale, early post-glacial changes in topography and ecology across the area, the volume takes a regional approach. Special emphasis is placed on how the early pioneer hunter-fisher-gatherers “mapped onto the landscape” – organized their economy and settlement – in order to provide for a broader and deeper understanding of the “big issues” such as why, from where, and how they came into different parts of Northern Scandinavia and in particular how the maritime component of the economy and settlement emerged. Another issue of particular, contemporary human interest is addressed through studies of how the early pioneers coped with rapid and large-scale climatic changes and their impact on living conditions. Based on new analyses, methodologies, and field-work this volume brings fresh perspectives and insights to all these important aspects of our early post-glacial past.

Series: The Early Settlement of Northern Europe

Preliminaries

List of Tables [+–] ix

Hans Peter Blankholm FREE

UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

List of Appendices [+–] x

Hans Peter Blankholm FREE

UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

List of Figures [+–] xi-xv

Hans Peter Blankholm FREE

UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

List of Contributors [+–] xvi-xviii

Hans Peter Blankholm FREE

UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

General Preface to the Series [+–] xix

Håkon Glørstad FREE

University of Oslo

Håkon Glørstad is Professor in archaeology at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. His research covers Stone Age archaeology of Scandinavia, archaeological epistemology and cultural heritage management. Glørstad has been leading or supervising several large scale excavations in Norway and research projects in Stone Age archaeology. He is currently the museum director at the Museum of Cultural History.

This volume explores economy and settlement of the early post-glacial pioneers of Northern Europe. The articles present overviews and case studies from the Early and Middle Mesolithic of Northern Scandinavia in their wider northern European setting. Given the large geographical and climatic variation– ranging from the temperate over the subarctic to the arctic zones – and rapid and large-scale, early post-glacial changes in topography and ecology across the area, a regional approach is necessary. Special emphasis is placed on how the early pioneer hunter-fisher-gatherers “mapped onto the landscape” – organized their economy and settlement – in order to provide for a broader and deeper understanding of the “big issues” such as why, from where, and how they came into different parts of Northern Scandinavia and in particular how the maritime component of the economy and settlement emerged. Another issue of particular, contemporary human interest is addressed through studies of how the early pioneers coped with rapid and large-scale climatic changes and their impact on living conditions. In addition new methodologies of particular relevance are presented. Based on new analyses and field-work this book brings fresh perspectives and insights to all these important aspects of our early post-glacial past.

Chapter 1

The Early Economy and Settlement in Northern Europe—Pioneering, Resource Use, Coping with Change: New Investigations [+–] 1-12

Hans Peter Blankholm £17.50

UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

This is the third volume of The Early Settlement of Northern Europe trilogy from the Pioneer Network within the Norwegian Research Council sponsored “Forskning i Fellesskap (Joint Research – Targeting Archaeology at the University Museums)” project – a joint venture among the five university museums in Norway aimed at activating their collections for new cutting edge research. The volume explores economy, settlement, and society of the early Post-Glacial (c. 9500-7000 uncal. BP/8800-6000 cal. BC) pioneers of northern Europe. The articles will present overviews and case studies of the Early and Middle Mesolithic of northern Scandinavia in their wider northern European setting. Given the vast geographical and climatic variation– ranging from the temperate over the sub-arctic to the arctic zones – and rapid and large-scale, early Post-Glacial changes in topography and ecology across the area, a regional approach is desirable in order to avoid cultural and behavioural “homogenization” of what essentially may be seen as a mosaic of great dynamic variation in scale, time and space. Special emphasis will be placed on how the early pioneer hunter-fisher-gatherers “mapped onto the landscape” – organized their economy and settlement – in turn providing for a broader and deeper understanding of the “big issues”, such as, why, from where, and how they came into different parts of northern Scandinavia and in particular how the maritime component of the economy and settlement emerged. Another issue of particular, contemporary human interest is addressed through studies of how the early pioneers coped with rapid and large-scale climatic changes and their impact on living conditions. In addition new methodologies of particular relevance are presented.

Chapter 2

The Pioneer Colonisation of Northern Norway [+–] 13-57

Jan Ingolf Kleppe £17.50

Finnmark County Authority, Vadsø, Norway

Jan Ingolf Kleppe is Special Advisor/Archaeologist at Finnmark County Authority, and phd-student at the Department of Archaeology and Social Anthropology, University of Tromsø. His research includes Stone Age archaeology of northern Fennoscandia in a North European context, paleoenvironmental impact and cultural heritage management.

The pioneer colonisation of the counties Nordland, Troms and Finnmark took place over a fairly short time span c. 11,600-11,000 cal. BP (c. 9550-9050 BC) and considering the vast distances covered, displays a relatively homogeneous technology and settlement pattern. However the survey and excavation histories of the counties are very dissimilar – even more so when compared with bordering areas in Sweden, Finland and Russia – thereby presenting us with an uneven record of early expansion. Very few radiocarbon dated inland sites have so far been found, an exception being the Sujala site in northernmost Finnish Lapland. This bias towards a coastal environment is partly due to survey focus and to a certain degree modern day borders, but is largely a result of the timing of settlement in relation to the deglaciation of northern Norway. There was a western pioneer expansion from southern Norway over a period of c. 500 years. The oldest dated sites are however in the easternmost parts of Finnmark – indicating a distinct slightly earlier pioneer expansion from the east. Based on a review of recent geological literature on the deglaciation of northern Fennoscandia and recent archaeological data from northern Norway as well as Sweden, Finland and Russia, the pioneer colonisation of the three northernmost counties will be re-examined in the light of a western and eastern route of colonisation, respectively.

Chapter 3

Large Mesolithic House – Pits at Tønsnes, Coastal Northern Norway: Evidence of a Winter Aggregation Site? [+–] 59-76

Jan Magne Gjerde,Marianne Skandfer £17.50

Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research

Jan Magne Gjerde is Researcher in Archaeology at the High North Department in Tromsø at NIKU (Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research). Gjerde has a PhD in Stone Age rock art of Fennoscandia with extensive fieldwork in Finland, Norway, NW-Russia and Sweden. Gjerde has in the last years published several papers on Fennoscandian Stone Age rock art. He also led the large-scale Stone Age excavations at Tønsnes, Northern Norway in 2011 and 2012. Gjerde is currently working on the project “Stone Age Demographics: Multi-scale exploration of population variation and dynamics” (2017-2021) funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

Tromsø Museum – The University Museum, UIT – The Arctic University of Norway

Marianne Skandfer is Professor of Archaeology at the Arctic University Museum at UiT –The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø. Her research interest focus is on hunter-gatherer knowledge acquisition and transmission, specifically on prehistoric technology transmission and resource management including human–animal socialities. She initiated the LARM project, and has published several papers on, among other subjects, early ceramic technology, material culture and identity, and human–animal relations in northern, prehistoric, hunter-gatherer societies. She is currently primary investigator in a project looking at demography and settlement in Stone Age northern Norway.

In 2008-2012 rescue excavations undertaken in conjunction with preparations for a new industrial harbour revealed Stone Age settlements at Tønsnes, Tromsø, in a number hitherto unparalleled in this part of northern Norway. The earliest settlements date to Preboreal times. Most surprisingly was the finding of five house-pits dating to between c.8000 and 7000 BP (c. 7000 and 6000 cal. BC), i.e., within the last part of the Pioneer phase as defined in this volume. The house-pits are much larger than generally seen among Middle Mesolithic houses in Scandinavia, and display variation, but also clear similarities to the latter in dwelling – landscape-relations, in layout (semi-subterranean floor areas, wall-banks and a lack of hearths) and in settlement practices (indoor vs. outdoor activities). Based on this new material we discuss seasonality in mobility and residency in Early Stone Age/Mesolithic northern Norway.

Chapter 4

Macro-level Predictive Modelling of Early Stone Age Pioneer Settlement Locations in Varanger, Northern Norway [+–] 77-101

Hans Peter Blankholm £17.50

UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

Finnmark, and the Varangerfjord area in particular, have for decades been considered the hub of Early Stone Age (c. 10,000-6100 uncal. BP, c. 9500-5000 cal. BC) research in northern Norway. Yet, the number of sites dating back to the pioneer phase (c. 10,000-7000 uncal. BP, c. 9500-6000 cal. BC) appears too low to allow for more nuanced insights into the cultural material variability and economic and social organization. Moreover, the focus on the Varangerfjord, rather than the entire Varanger peninsula coast, has prevented insights into the above aspects on a broader regional canvas. It is thus of importance to increase both the number of sites and geographical and topographical representation. This paper discusses how this dual aim was achieved by the implementation of macro-level predictive modelling and surveys. The implications of these findings are briefly discussed, notably a) raw-material testing sites and raw-material exploitation (quarry) localities were an integral part of the pioneer repertoire, b) earlier notions of a general increase in quartz use over time in the Early Stone Age along the coast or dichotomous coast-inland technological regimes (or people) need revision (e.g., Grydeland 2002, 2005, 2006, Olsen 1994, Rankama 2003, see also Hood 2012 for a critical discussion), c) semi-subterranean pit dwellings, tent-rings, and wind-breaks were just as much a feature of the early pioneer settlement on the outer Varanger peninsula as they were along the inner parts of the Varangerfjord (e.g., Grydeland 2006), and d) the early pioneers did not seem to change their locational criteria for habitation, or other types of sites, despite swift and drastic climate change and the iso- or eustatic consequences thereof.

Chapter 5

Aareavaara and the Pioneer Period in Northern Sweden [+–] 103-137

Olof Östlund £17.50

Skellefteå Museum, Sweden

Olof Östlund is an archaeologist at the Skellefteå Museum. His research covers primarily Early Mesolithic archaeology of northernmost Sweden. Östlund has been leading several excavations in the northern counties of Sweden since 1996.

This article is an up-to-date overview of the Pioneer period of the Mesolithic in northernmost Sweden. Compared to Norway the time-span of the Pioneer settling in the northern parts of Sweden was longer due to the longer presence of the Fennoscandian ice sheet. Over the past 15 years new knowledge has been generated through newly discovered sites, but also through critical reviews of results from previously excavated sites. At the beginning of the article is a presentation of the finds from Aareavaara, where – to this day – the oldest site (c. 9400 BP ≈ 8700 cal. BC) discovered in northern Sweden was found in 2009. This is followed by a comparison with the second and third oldest sites in northern Sweden; Kangos (8720 ± 60 BP (7960-7590 cal. BC)) and Dumpokjauratj (c. 8630 ± 85 BP (7940-7530 cal. BC)). Despite their differences in age, the three sites share similarities in their topographic position in the landscape. The sites and their dates are also discussed in relation to a larger context of migration. In Sweden, Norway and Finland, GIS-analyses of other sites, radiocarbon dated older than 8000 years give indications of pioneer immigration to Fennoscandia from the south and from the east. Since the distribution of the oldest settlements in each region indicate a frontier, the larger picture of pioneer immigration also includes current knowledge of the ice-sheet deglaciation.

Chapter 6

From Russia, with Love – Eastern Intruders in the North Norwegian Mesolithic [+–] 139-167

Tuija Rankama,Jarmo Kankaanpää £17.50

University of Helsinki

Tuija Rankama, Ph.D. (Brown), is an independent researcher and an Adjunct Professor of archaeology at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her research interests include arctic and subarctic archaeology, the Stone Age, lithic technology, environmental reconstruction, and site formation processes. She has supervised several excavations in Lapland and directed research projects, such as the Mesolithic Interfaces Project and the ongoing Lapland Pioneers Project (together with Jarmo Kankaanpää). She has also served as Acting Professor and University Lecturer of Archaeology at the University of Helsinki.

University of Helsinki

Jarmo Kankaanpää, Ph.D. (Brown), is an independent researcher and Adjunct Professor of Archaeology at the University of Helsinki. He specializes in the ethnology of arctic and subarctic hunter-gatherers, ethnoarchaeology, and Mesolithic archaeology. He has carried out archaeological excavations and surveys for the National Board of Antiquities primarily in Lapland, taught cultural anthropology at the University of Oulu, and served as University Research Fellow at the University of Helsinki. Kankaanpää has directed the Lapland Pioneers Project with Tuija Rankama since 2002.

Interpretations concerning the nature of extant archaeological assemblages can sometimes change radically when the appearance of new information places them in a new context. This is illustrated by a number of Norwegian assemblages in the Varanger Sámi Museum, the Tromsø University Museum, and the Oslo Historical Museum, the peculiar character of which was not evident before the discovery of the Sujala site in northern Finnish Lapland and the chaîne opératoire analysis of its lithic assemblage. This analysis revealed the affiliation of the Sujala assemblage, not only with the aforementioned Norwegian assemblages, but also with a group of Early Mesolithic blade assemblages from northwestern Russia and the eastern Baltic. It also produced a set of technological criteria that can be used for identifying related assemblages even in the absence of traditional key artefact types. In this paper, we present the characteristics of the blade technology at Sujala and at the Russian sites Butovo 1 and Mikulino, and compare them to three excavated sites in the Varangerfjord area, Mortensnes 2/R10, Starehnjunni, and Sæleneshøgda, which are considered to represent the distinctive Phase 2 of the Finnmark Mesolithic. We also describe the surface collections from the unexcavated sites Fállegoahtesajeguolbba and Ovenfor Lossoa’s hus near Nyelv, as well as Nummedal’s finds from Prestestua II at Grense Jakobselv, and demonstrate their close affinity to Sujala and the Phase 2 finds mentioned above. It will be argued that these assemblages represent the first unequivocal evidence of an Early Mesolithic migration from the Post-Swiderian culture sphere in northeastern Europe into northern Lapland and Finnmark, and that they provide tools for understanding the development of the lithic technology in this area and beyond during the Middle Mesolithic.

Chapter 7

Early Mesolithic Central Norway: A Review of Research History, Settlements, and Tool Tradition [+–] 169-206

Heidi Mjelva Breivik,Hein B. Bjerck £17.50

Department of Historical Studies, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Heidi Mjelva Breivik holds a PhD in archaeology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. Her research focusses Early Stone Age with emphasis on marine foragers, human–environment relations, technology and settlement patterns.

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Hein B. Bjerck is professor in archaeology (research and teaching) at the NTNU University Museum in Trondheim. His research is focussed on early marine foraging (Marine Ventures project), and large scale excavation projects (Ormen Lange project). Bjerck is also involved in research on the recent past, and project member in Ruin Memories, After Discourse and Objects Matter.

This paper sums up the vast record from the Early Mesolithic (EM) pioneer period (c. 10,000-9000 BP, c. 9500-8000 cal. BC) in central Norway (Fig. 1). This region holds a significant place when it comes to Stone Age research. This is where the first (Early Mesolithic) Fosna pioneer settlements were located by Anders Nummedal in 1909. It is also the region with the highest density of EM settlements in the present archaeological record of Norway. In recent years, several large-scale excavations have been conducted, revealing new and interesting details of EM dwellings, settlement structure and tool tradition. The quantitative analysis of 248 sites has the potential to put the former studies into perspective and investigate topics that have been less treated in the past. Since the EM record from the coastal areas of northern Europe are severely hampered by Post-Glacial inundations, this archaeological information is of great importance. The nature of the isostatic uplift in central Norway has preserved these ancient shorelines, and does, unlike most other places, allow for detailed studies of early marine foragers. There is also a possibility that the high density of settlements is a result of a perfect correspondence between subsistence pattern and environmental characteristics, where fjords represent efficient communication routes between a highly productive marine biotope along the outer coast and the reindeer populations in the adjacent mountain plateaus. Thus, the EM record from central Norway constitutes an interesting case in the understanding of the social and economic conglomerate of Mesolithic Europe.

Chapter 8

TTent, Hut or House? A Discussion on Early Mesolithic Dwellings in Light of the Site Mohalsen 2012-II, Vega, Northern Norway [+–] 207-230

Silje E. Fretheim,Hein B. Bjerck,Heidi Mjelva Breivik,A. Francisco J. Zangrando £17.50

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Silje E. Fretheim is a PhD candidate in Archaeology at NTNU, The University Museum, Trondheim. Research interests: Stone Age dwellings and settlement structures, dynamics in the Mesolithic of the Scandinavian Peninsula, comparative studies, interactions between coastal and inland foragers.

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Department of Historical Studies, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Laboratory of Anthropology CADIC-CONICET

Atilio Francisco Zangrando is a full-time researcher at CADIC-CONICET (Argentina), and part-time lecturer at the University of Buenos Aires. His current research focuses on marine hunter-gatherers in southern South America, and includes coastal archaeology, settlement patterns, zooarchaeology and stable isotopes.

Our research excavation of the site Mohalsen 2012-II on Vega in northern Norway presented us with the remains of a pioneer age dwelling believed to have been in use during the last part of the Early Mesolithic (EM) period, c. 9100 BP (8300 cal. BC). Our review of other excavated Norwegian EM dwellings reveal (with some exceptions) that the observable remains are typically somewhat indistinct, context dependent features; interpretations often involve areas cleared of stones and/or sharply defined lithics concentrations. Their characteristics fit a highly mobile lifestyle pattern and the use of fully portable tents. In contrast, the Mohalsen 2012-II dwelling remains showed a solid structure of 98 cobbles surrounding a distinct fireplace and a form of culture layer, but few artifacts. Our excavation aimed at sorting out the character of this dwelling in order to explore how the distinction between the remains of a tent and a more permanent dwelling might materialize in the archaeological record, and how the site related to the changes in logistics and settlement systems documented at Vega from the Early to the Middle Mesolithic.

Chapter 9

The Early Mesolithic of Western Norway [+–] 231-274

Leif Inge Åstveit £17.50

University Museum of Bergen

Leif Inge Åstveit is working as researcher and field archaeologist at the University Museum of Bergen. He is mainly engaged in rescue excavations and cultural heritage management. Åstveit have been in charge of several large scale excavations from the outer coast to the high mountains of Western Norway. His resent research covers the pioneer settlement and the first sedentary occupation of Western Norway.

Due to isostatic uplift during early Post Glacial times, coastal areas of Norway have numerous sites from the Early Mesolithic (EM) i.e., 10,000-8900 BP (9500-8000 cal. BC). The rocky and weather-beaten west coast seems to be in a unique position regarding the quantity of remains dating back to this period. Few other areas in the world can demonstrate a similar degree of variation and complexity in the archaeological record when it comes to early Post Glacial Stone Age settlement sites. There is also a long research tradition addressing the Preboreal period in this part of Norway. This overview attempts to provide insight into a 1000 to 1200-year long pioneer period characterised by dynamic environmental changes. Regarding culture historical issues, the main objective is to offer an outline of some of the characteristics of western Norway; not to provide a complete description. The goal is rather to outline an overview of the EM sites which are found here rather than to address migration hypotheses or to present in depth analyses of material culture. Following this, several case studies will be presented with the intent of revealing both similarities and differences between the sites. Finally, issues regarding dating and source assessment will be addressed, an interpretation of the settlement pattern will be put forward, and recent literature on the field, including some of the author’s own investigations along the coast of western Norway, will be presented. The areas defined as western Norway (Norwegian Vestlandet) are the three counties Hordaland, Sogn and Fjordane and Møre and Romsdal. Unless otherwise specified, all radiocarbon dates referred to are presented in uncalibrated age (BP) and calibrated age (BC). Oxcal version 3.1 combined with Cologne Radiocarbon Calibration and Paleoclimate Research Package “Cal Pal” has been used to calibrate older 14C results from uncal BP to cal. BC.

Chapter 10

The First One Thousand Years – Human Colonization and Differentiated Landscape Use in Southwestern Norway 10,000 to 9000 Years BP. [+–] 275-310

Sveinung Bang-Andersen £17.50

University of Stavanger

Sveinung Bang-Andersen is Associate professor in archaeology at the Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger. His research has mainly been on Stone Age archaeology, reindeer trapping techniques and site preservation problems in mountain areas, in particular in southwestern Norway. Bang-Andersen is a board member of several scientific commissions under UISPP.

This article deals with research performed over the last fifty years to discover, investigate and interpret archaeological sites relating to the pioneer population in southwestern Norway (the county of Rogaland) and their successors. The time limit is the Preboreal, between 10,000 BP / 9530 cal. BC and 9000 BP / 8250 cal. BC. The distribution and location of early Post-Glacial settlement forms the basis for this review. After the actual existence of such sites was confirmed as late as in 1977, a number of seventy open sites of the kind have come into light: fifty in coast/lowland, twenty in mountain/inland environments. While most coastal sites in southwestern Norway are disturbed by re-occupation or by natural causes and, due to the systematic lack of radiocarbon evidence appear difficult to date, the montane sites are generally better preserved and have radiocarbon dates back to 9750 BP / 9250 cal. BC. The relationship between coast and mountain exploitation is treated. One important future task is to locate transit sites in valleys and fjord arms connecting the inland with the coast; another is to analyze the different environmental settings of the lowland sites and variation within artefact content, floor size, dwelling structures, camp organization and inter-site connections. Being early ice-free and surrounded by high-productive marine waters making easy access by sea, the southern parts of Norway should, expectedly, have been settled by human groups well before the Glacial/Holocene transition. Although the available evidence indicates a westward oriented colonization, spreading out from the Bohuslän coast of Sweden as late as around 10,000 BP, this timing is not necessarily the final answer. Almost intangible possible traces from transient activities performed during the final Late Glacial may be expected within certain characteristic landscape types.

Chapter 11

The Pioneer Settlement of Southwestern Norway: A Case Study [+–] 311-334

Sigrid Alraek Dugstad £17.50

University of Stavanger

Sigrid Alræk Dugstad is a researcher at the Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger. Her research focuses on the Stone Age archaeology of Western Norway with particular emphasis on the social organization of settlements, knowledge transfer and the visibility of children in the lithic record. Dugstad has led and participated in several large-scale Stone Age excavations.

This case study discusses the results of investigations of a settlement complex in southwestern Norway form the early pioneer settlement phase, which is prior to 9500 BP (8800 cal. BC). On the island of Hundvåg, Rogaland county, a large area was exposed mechanically, and this method enabled the identification of several sites within a limited area. The sites represent remains of single-phase occupations, and give an interesting insight into the micro-level organisation. The settlements will be presented through visual spatial analyses in order to illustrate similarities and differences among them. This, and other, similar settlement complexes are interesting both in terms of settlement organisation and group size. Furthermore, they raise interesting questions regarding durations of settlement and the degree of mobility. The colonisation of the coastal areas of Norway was very rapid, and the whole coastline seems to have been settled around 10,000-9500 BP (9500-8800 cal. BC). The colonisation process is traced through early 14C dates and homogenous typological, archaeological material (e.g., Bang-Andersen 1996, Bjerck 2008a, Fuglestvedt 2009). The majority of sites from the Early Mesolithic are coastal, primarily insular, but in several places on the west coast, including Rogaland County, some settlements have been found in the mountains and in the inner fjord areas (Bang-Andersen 2003b). Taking a wider view of the topographical locations of these settlements, however, it becomes apparent that Early Mesolithic colonisation was closely tied to the shoreline (e.g., Nummedal 1923, Bang-Andersen 2003b, Nærøy 2000, Svendsen 2007, Bjerck 2008a). The campsites in the present day landscape are first and foremost characterised by stone tools and debris from their manufacture. In some locations, tent circles, hearths or cleared areas, indicating remnants of tent circles or wind breaks, have been discovered (e.g., Nærøy 2000, Tørhaug and Åstveit 2000, Bang-Andersen 2003a, Bjerck 2008b, Fretheim et al., this volume). However, these are exceptions, and the Preboreal settlements are largely absent of structures. Because of this, stone artefacts and their spatial distribution are our main basis for the interpretation of social structure and dynamics.

Chapter 12

The Pioneer Settlement of Eastern Norway [+–] 335-367

Hege Damlien,Steinar Solheim £17.50

University of Oslo

Hege Damlien is Associate Professor in archaeology at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. Her research covers Stone Age archaeology of Northern Europe, hunter-gatherers and lithic technology. Damlien has been leading several Stone Age excavations in Norway.

University of Oslo

Steinar Solheim is researcher in archaeology at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. His research covers both the Mesolithic and Neolithic of Norway. Solheim has been in charge of large scale archaeological projects focusing on Mesolithic sites in South-eastern Norway.

The pioneer settlement of eastern Norway has been the subject of a long research history. The Post-Glacial colonisation as a social process, and the long-term social implications related to settling in new landscapes, has, however, received sparse attention. During the last decade, new excavations have provided source material of high quality from both the early and late pioneering phase of eastern Norway, corresponding to the Early (10,000-9000 BP/9500-8250 cal. BC) and Middle Mesolithic (9000-7500 BP/8250-6350 cal. BC) periods. Both inland and coastal settlements have been excavated, giving us opportunity to investigate the colonisation process in two very different ecological and economic settings. Whereas the earliest evidence of human pioneer settlement in the coastal areas of eastern Norway can be dated to c. 9900-9800 BP (9400-9300 cal. BC), the inland areas first became habitable after the ice retreated c. 8850 BP (8000 cal. BC) and groups moving into the area can be characterized as the last pioneers of eastern Norway. In earlier models on Mesolithic inland-coastal relationship, the interior of eastern Norway has been treated as resource caches for a coastal population and peripheral to broader concerns of understanding change during the colonisation process (Boaz 1999). With the purpose of contributing to a better understanding of the adjustment to regional circumstances and traditions in the enculturation of new landscapes, we study raw material and technological strategies as well as settlement strategies at coastal sites from the Oslofjord region and interior sites along the Rena River/Gråfjell area, Hedmark County. By using a multilateral approach we will argue that stable settlement can be seen at the coast and in the inland c. 2000 years earlier than previously suggested, and that the development in the interior regions must be perceived as a parallel to the increased regionalisation and general social development in Scandinavia during the colonisation process.

Chapter 13

Pauler 2: An Ordinary Early Mesolithic Site in South-Eastern Norway? [+–] 369-385

Astrid J Nyland £17.50

Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger

Astrid Nyland is currently working as associate professor and project coordinator for the Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger. Her particular research interest is the study of social relations in the Mesolithic and Neolithic through material culture, practices, and lithic raw material provenance. She has also a background as a field archaeologist.

An Early Mesolithic coastal site on the Norwegian coast is normally comprised of one to three flint clusters, totalling around 3000 finds. This kind of site is perceived to be representative of activities by small, mobile hunter-gather-fisher groups. The key discussion in this article is about whether Pauler 2 is one of these ordinary sites, or if the method of analysis can yield information enabling interpretation of something extraordinary. The site of Pauler 2 dates to 11,150 BP/ 9150 cal. BC. At that time it lay sheltered at a narrow strait on the northern coast of Skagerrak. The archaeological material includes three flint scatters, containing a total of approximately 3700 finds, each associated with a hearth structure. In addition, there was an adjacent area, cleared of stones, that has been interpreted to be the site of a light dwelling structure. The lithics found at the site include the same elements as found on other Early Mesolithic sites, i.e., tanged and single edged flint points, microliths, burins, and flake axes. However, results from refitting and intrasite analyses suggest that Pauler 2 might not be an ordinary Early Mesolithic site. That is, the results of refitting demonstrate that the three flint clusters were deposited during the same occupation. Furthermore, there was also variation of specific tool types among the flint clusters suggesting a clear on-site organisation of activities. Finally, three needle points, a type previously not recorded in Norway, were found together in the cleared area.

End Matter

Index [+–] 387-397

Hans Peter Blankholm FREE

UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

Reviews

Extremely well written and edited. The inclusion of radiocarbon results in eight contributions is extremely useful for the wider scientific community. Blankholm has done a tremendous job bringing these diverse and interesting articles together, all of which for the most part present new data.
Antiquity

A new, solid platform for further knowledge development about this fascinating period in our common prehistory.
Viking: Norsk arkeologisk årbok

An important contribution to the settlement of Northern Europe.
Represents an incredible collection of articles focused on the time just after the Weichselian Ice Age. The three books contain a plethora of information regarding flora, fauna, geology and technology, stemming from decades of excavation and of research on the vast body of material unearthed, especially in Norway.
European Journal of Archaeology

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Books and Journals in Humanities, Social Science and Performing Arts

Early Economy and Settlement in Northern Europe

Pioneering, Resource Use, Coping with Change

The Early Settlement of Northern Europe, Volume 3

Hans Peter Blankholm [+–]

UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

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